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Researchers from the ARC North East and North Cumbria are looking to speak to people who have had experiences of paediatric critical care or surgery in the North East and North Cumbria in the last six months.

They’re carrying out a study named EQUIPS – which stands for ‘Equitable access to paediatric critical care and surgery in the North East & North Cumbria’.

As part of the work, the research team who are based at Newcastle University, are seeking the views of:

• Children and young people (aged 12-16 years) with experience of paediatric critical care or surgery
• Caregivers with experience of paediatric critical care or surgery
• Healthcare staff working in paediatric critical care or surgery
• Voluntary, charity, social enterprise and community staff affiliated with paediatric critical care or surgery.

What would be involved?

A short interview where you’ll be asked about your experiences of accessing paediatric critical care or surgery, including any barriers (issues or problems) you or your child faced.

If you’re a professional or care volunteer, we’ll ask you to share your thoughts around barriers that patients or carers experience.

You can choose to be interviewed in person or online.

What’s in it for you?

• You’ll receive a £20 shopping voucher as a thank you
• You’ll have your voice heard
• You’ll help to improve access to paediatric critical care
• We’ll send you a summary of the study findings if you want.

If you would like to help us with our study, please get in touch with Dr Catherine El Zerbi, NIHR ARC NENC Research Fellow for Supporting Children and Families at Newcastle University on 07436784832 or [email protected]

Aim of the study

Certain groups of children and young people living in the North East and North Cumbria present late to paediatric critical care and surgery services resulting in poorer clinical outcomes. However, the factors influencing access to such services are presently unclear.

This pilot study will use interviews, focus groups and creative workshops to understand the barriers to accessing paediatric critical care and surgery (including dental) for children and young people from diverse backgrounds across our region – so that barriers can be understood and recommendations for service improvement can be developed.

Background to the study

Reducing inequities to timely access to health care services has been a central aim for the NHS for decades. Although it provides universal health care free at the point of access, there are many potential barriers to timely access to care.

Research has shown barriers include transport costs, proximity to services, insecure and inflexible employment conditions, ethnicity, previous bad experiences, lack of access to primary care services, and in some reports, less timely recognition of illness. Understanding the lived experience of barriers to accessing healthcare is a key factor to achieving equity within a health system.

Children and young people from economically under-resourced areas have higher rates of attendance at emergency departments and higher rates of unplanned hospital admissions than those from economically affluent areas. Socioeconomic deprivation is also associated with increased risk of admission to paediatric critical care and worse clinical outcomes.

EQUIPS is funded by the North East and North Cumbria Paediatric Critical Care and Surgery in Children Operational Delivery Network. Health Research Authority reference 313965.